Improvement in stove-platforms



W. WESTLAKIL.

Stove-Platform.

No. 211,676, Patented Jan. 28, 1879.;

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N, PETERS, PHOTO'UTHDGRAPYIER, WASFIMGTON, D. O.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFI WILLIAM WESTLAKE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STOVE-PLATFORMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,676, dated January28, 1879; application filed August 9, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WESTLAKE, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Stove-Platforms, of which the following is aspecification:

Stove-platforms are generally covered with sheet-zinc, the interiors orlinings being of wood or of sheet-iron. WVood-lined platforms arecumbersome, and, unless expensively made, the wood is liable to shrinkand warp and the platforms become shaky. Those made of layers ofsheet-iron covered with zinc, by reason of the unequal expansion andcontraction of the metals used, are liable to turn up around their edgeswhen supporting the weight of the stove, and to buckle and curl to sucha degree that they soon become unsightly and inefiicient for the'purposedesigned.

Nearly all stove-platforms heretofore sold in the market, by reason oftheir imperfect construction, suffer greater injury or depreciation whenin transportation and on storage, either awaiting sale or laid asideduring the summer months, than when in actual use under stoves. When onstorage they are generally leaned against the side of the room, theweight of the structure being brought upon its edge, and, unless theinterior is supported by some device sufficiently strong to sustain theentire weight without yielding, the platform will sag and become bentand distorted to such a degree as to impair its appearance and utility.

The invention herein described is designed as an improvement on theconstruction set forth in Letters Patent No. 177,600, granted May 16,1876. which, although efficientto accomplish the purpose for which itwas intended-viz., to lie flat upon the floor without warping, and toresist great downward force upon its edge-was liable to become injuredin storage when placed as above described.

It is the object of this invention to produce a sheet-metal platformwhich shall fully equal, in style, lightness, durability, and generalefficiency for use, any stove-platform in the market, and at the sametime possess such strength to resist lateral strain or weight that itcanbeplaced upon its edge for storage either in a perpendicular or inclinedposition, and

allowed to remain a long time in such position without material injuryor depreciation.

The invention consists of a platform for stoves composed of a piece ofsheet metal, havin g its edge supported by an interior flanged orcorrugated hoop, such hoop being flanged upon its lower or upper edge,or both, or corrugated, so as to resist lateral pressure or strain, andto furnish a bearingfor the turnedunder edge of the covering metal.

In the accompanying drawings illustrative of the invention, Figure 1 isa plan view of the platform. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through theline as w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the flanged hoop.Fig. 4 1s a vertical section of the sheet-metal cover in form to receivethe hoop. Fig. 5 is a section of a platform in which. the hoop D isflanged and corrugated to conform to the edge of the metal cover.

In these drawings, A represents the main central part of the platform; Bthe, upward bevel, extending to the top of the edge of the platform; 0,the edge projectin g downward, and adapted to rest upon the floor; andD, the interior supporting-hoop, a being the upper, and b the lower,flanged edge thereof.

All parts of the central portion, A, need not be in the same plane; but,leaving a sufficient space or ring adjacent to the bevel B for the legsto stand upon, the remaining or central part of A may be corrugated orraised to provide an air-space directlybeneath the stove, or otherwisedisposed.

The portion of A on which the legs are to rest should be raisedslightly-say, from one-sixteeuth to one-eighth of an inch-above the partof the edge of O which rests upon the floor, sothat when the stove is inplace its weight will cause the edge 0 to be brought and held in closecontact with the floor all the way around.

The bevel B should be extended upward till it reaches a plane (say, fromone-fourth to onehalf inch) above the plane on which the legs are torest. The pitch or inclination of this bevel may be varied to conform tothe taste of the designer or facility in working the metal used. It maybe made slightly concave or convex, and the appearance thereby beimproved.

The edge 0 is formed by turning over the metal at the top or outwardlimit of the bevel B and extending it downward in any desired form orcurve, as the ogee, until, as abovedescribed, it reaches a planeslightly below the rest for the legs of the stove, when the free edge ofG is bent around under the lower flange, b, of the hoop D.

The hoop D is shown in the drawings as having flanges formed on both itsupper and lower edges and thrown off in opposite directions from thebody of the hoop, and at nearly right angles thereto, the lower flangebeing about twice the width of the upper one, and

the body of the hoopthe part between the flanges-occupying nearly avertical position in the platform. It is believed that this arran gementof the hoop will give the greatest strength to resist both vertical andlateral pressure or strain. The upper flange, however, may be omittedwithout seriously att'ectin g the strength of the structure; and thebody of the hoop, instead of being in a vertical position, may be madeto conform to the curve or pattern of the edge 0 without departing fromthe principle of the invention, which is to give strength to resistlateral pressure or strain by flanging or corrugating some portion ofthe hoop, and at the same time to preserve its vertical strength, sothat it will sustain a heavy weight or pressure upon the top of itsedges.

In case the body of the hoop is made to conform to the edge 0, the lowerflange, b, is thrown off in the opposite direction from that shown inFig. '2 of the drawing. In addition to the flanged edges, the body ofthe hoop may be corrugated to give still greater lateral resistance, asshown in Fig. 5 of the drawing.

Sheet-iron of good quality and of the proper thickness should be usedfor the hoops D, and by the use of machinery such iron can be cut intostrips or hoops of the desired width and flanged, corrugated, or reducedto any desired form, and can then be cut ott' to the proper lengths andriveted together for use.

The hoop D, when formed, is inserted inside of the edge 0, the uppernarrow flange, a, being brought up directly under the apex formed by thetop edge, 0, and the bevel B, and is secured in place by turning thelower part of the edge 0 around and under the lower flange,

b. This edge, instead of being turned over flat, may be left somewhatrounded, or beaded by methods well known to workers of sheet metal.

It is preferred to use a single sheet of zinc to form the body, bevel,and edge of the platform. In circular or oval platforms the zinc may beconveniently brought into shape for insertin g the hoop within its edge,as shown in Fig. at of the drawing, by spinning it over formers, and,after the hoop is placed in position, the edge of the zinc may also beclosed around under the edge of the hoop by spinning. The sheet-zincmay, however, be struck up into the desired forms by the use of dies;andthis method would naturally be used if the shape of the platformswere to be square or square with rounded corners, or any other forms towhich the metal could not be spun. In all such cases the hoops couldeasily be made to conform to the periphery of the edge of the platform,and inserted and secured, as shown in the drawings, upon the circular oroval platforms.

What is claimed as new is-- 1. In a stove-platform, a sheet of metalhaving its edge combined with an interior flan ged hoop, to resist bothlateral and vertical strain, substantially as set forth.

2. In a stoveplatform, a sheet of metal whose edge is combined with aninterior corrugated hoop, to resist both vertical and lateral strain,

substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM WESTLAKE.

Witnesses ROBERT H. DUNCAN, BENJ. A. SMITH.

